Bonding at the Waterfall
by Twinkletoes626
Summary: This is my take on the not-yet-released deleted scene where Harry is coping by a waterfall. Harry is still coping after the third task. Ron and Hermione want to be there for him, but he refuses to admit anything's wrong. Can they help him through all that's happened? Read to find out.


**Hello, everyone! Yes, a Harry Potter fanfiction *gasps*. Really, I love these books, so I just had to contribute to the Potterverse. Anyhow, this is my take on the yet-to-be-released waterfall scene with the Golden Trio. :) I haven't seen anyone else do this, so I thought I'd give it a try. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own **_**Harry Potter**_** in the Mirror of Erised. That is to say, not in real life. All rights go to JKR. **

Ron and Hermione were worried. They were worried about their best friend, who had succeeding in disappearing right under their noses. They didn't feel comfortable leaving him alone with his thoughts at the moment, not after what he'd gone through. They didn't want him thinking about what had happened. They were afraid he might slip into depression.

"Harry?" Hermione called out as they roamed the Hogwarts grounds, desperate to find her friend.

"Mate? Are you there?" Ron asked. Hermione had rarely seen him this solemn, and was rather touched by how worried he was about Harry. Hermione smiled a little. Ron was such a good friend. He could also be so funny, and he could be so creative so time, even when he was arguing with her…

Hermione's heart fluttered, and she blushed. Luckily, Ron didn't notice.

But, she couldn't get distracted. Her best friend was probably dwelling on thoughts and feelings he shouldn't. Ron and Hermione needed to be there for Harry.

There was a break in the trees, and Ron and Hermione noticed their best friend, Harry Potter, sitting on a large stone, staring contemplatively at a waterfall, watching as the water cascaded downward. Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried glance. What were they supposed to say to him after all he'd been through? "High, Harry, we're so sorry that you watched Cedric die before your very eyes, witnessed You-Know-Who's return, and probably experienced so many other horrors that you still refuse to tell us," just didn't sound right.

"H-Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively. Harry started and turned around.

"Hermione? Ron? What are you doing here?" Harry asked, though he wasn't very shocked. The two hadn't left him alone ever since...the incident. They'd been constantly by his side. He suspected they wanted to know what happened at the graveyard, but that they knew better than to ask.

"We came to see you, mate," Ron said, approaching him.

"Well, here I am. Do you need something, or…" Harry trailed off, glancing at his friends.

"No, we don't need anything, we just wanted to see how you were doing," Hermione said, stepping beside Ron.

"As you can see, I'm doing fine. You really shouldn't have worried so much."

"Of _course _we're going to worry about you. You're our friend, Harry. We hate seeing you so upset," Hermione said forcefully.

"Merlin, guys, it's not like I'm depressed or anything. I'm _fine_," Harry said, equally as forceful.

"Sorry, but I don't think you're fine. You barely talk at all now, and even your smiles are fake," said Ron, not willing to wait for Harry to admit that he was going through a hard time.

"I've just been…" Harry paused as he searched for a word, "...tired. That's all. I'm just a bit tired."

"We both know that's a lie," said Ron, Hermione nodding her agreement.

"Come on, lighten up, you two. Everything's fine, so stop worrying!"

"Everything's not fine!" Hermione snapped, "you're holding back your feelings! I can tell, and I don't want you going back to those awful relatives of yours while you're still grieving! You've got to talk to someone! Talk to _us_! Please, I hate seeing you so upset, and so does Ron! Harry, just open up to us!"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at Hermione's outburst. Her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed to be shaking a little. Apparently, she was really worried. Harry was touched, but he still wasn't going to tell her what happened at the graveyard.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, and you, Ron. I-I just really, _really _don't want to talk about the graveyard, okay? Try to understand, please," Harry said, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"We already understood that," said Ron, "That's not what we wanted to talk to you about."

Harry blinked, surprised. All anyone wanted to talk to him about these days was what happened during the third task. No one had bothered asking him how he felt, or anything like that. Not that he blamed them, though. Who cared what he was going through, when Cedric had just died, and a war was on the way?

"We just want to know how you're feeling. We're worried about you. It must be difficult for you. You're probably scarred by what happened, and we want to help you heal."

"I don't need healing, Hermione," Harry insisted, "I'm not at the graveyard anymore. I'm over it."

"I don't think you are, mate," said Ron, shaking his head, "I hear you at night. I hear you screaming. Neville, Dean, and Seamus hear you too, but they try to just ignore it, for your sake. I can't ignore it, though. How can I ignore it when my best friend is screaming in agony, shaking like a leaf, and is more terrified than I've ever seen him? I've tried waking you up, but you'll just get even more scared! Whatever happened in that graveyard, you're not over it, Harry. Even if you don't think about it during the day, you revisit that place in the night."

Hermione was astounded and impressed at how sentimental Ron was being.

Harry gaped at Ron for a second before saying, "Sorry for keeping you up, Ron."

Ron gave a shaky laugh, "Of course, after my amazing speech, that would be the thing you would focus on."

Harry and Hermione's lips twitched, and soon all three members of the Gold Trio found themselves doubling over in laughter.

"Really, keeping me up! _You're _suffering from nightmares about a reawakened evil who is out to kill you, but nope! My sleep is more important!"

"Well, we all know how grumpy ickle Ronniekins is without his nap," Harry laughed, joining in on the joke.

"Hey! I need my sleep!" Ron defended himself.

"Yes, it must take a lot of energy to make a fool of yourself," Hermione said sarcastically, but she was grinning widely.

"I do _not_ make a fool of myself!" Ron protested heatedly.

"Sure you don't," Harry and Hermione said in sync.

"You two are ganging up on me!" Ron exclaimed, "How could you?!"

"Well, it was fairly easy. You kind of walked right into it, really," said Harry.

"And when did _you_ get so witty?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ron, I've been this witty. I'm just an incredibly good actor, so you never found out," Harry informed the red-faced and redheaded boy.

Hermione smiled at the pure happiness in Harry's eyes. She hadn't seen that since the third task. Something had been missing from his eyes ever since, and it wasn't just happiness. It was innocence. He still had some of it, but Hermione hadn't failed to notice that a lot of his childish youthfulness was gone, and he'd probably never get it back. It was heartbreaking, really. Hermione knew that they would all have to grow up in this war, especially Harry, but she would miss the simplicity of her first few years at Hogwarts. Sure, there'd been danger, but that was when You-Know - _Voldemort_ had been gone, and they'd always had the adults to rely on. Now that V-Voldemort was back, however, Hermione had realized that she, along with Harry and Ron, would almost definitely end up fighting in a war. The Death Eaters were back, and Voldemort was certainly much more of a threat than he had been. Hermione realized that now, instead of being forced into dangerous situations, they'd be actively seeking out the dangerous missions.

Hermione sighed. At least she still had her innocence. Harry, on the other hand, had nearly reached the maturity of an adult, and he'd faced even more than most adults could dream of. He hadn't even asked for it, either. It just wasn't fair.

The three had gone silent now, each having become lost in their own thoughts. The three just stood and reflected for a second, staring at the waterfall and enjoying each other's company.

"Nothing's going to be the same," Harry finally said, sighing. It was true, in two ways. The first was obvious. They were in a war now. They would have to deal with the knowledge that anyone could die at a moment's notice. The second reason was much more of a personal one. Harry was scarred, and not just on his forehead. He had a new outlook on life, and he'd seen things he wished he could un-see. He hoped his friends would never have to go through that, but he knew they would, and the thought killed him. He hated how different everything seemed now. He didn't want that to happen to his friends. He didn't want their innocence to fade.

"You've got that right," Ron nodded, "but, mate, now matter how hard things get, now matter how much things change, we'll be there. You're our best friend, and we aren't about to let you go through this alone. We'll be by your side through it all, and nothing you say or do is going to change that."

Hermione wrapped her hands around the two boys, and the three made their way back to the castle. What Ron said was true. No matter what happened, they were the Golden _Trio_, and you can't have a trio without all three.

**Well...that got sappy. What do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't really care about it? Review and let me know! :)**


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